1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to metal pans or containers for food, and more specifically, to a reusable pizza pan set.
2. Description of Related Art
The US pizza industry generated $3.7 billion in revenues from Jun. 20, 2008 to Jun. 20, 2009, down less than 1% from 2007, proving that the pizza industry is recession-proof. Pizza consumption, particularly take out and home delivery are on the rise. There is also increasing consumer interest in green business practices such as the use of reusable and sustainable packaging.
Over 3 billion cardboard pizza boxes are produced annually (some estimates are as high as 4 billion) in the United States. A traditional cardboard pizza box has a single-purpose use and can only be used one time, perpetuating the single-use mentality among consumers, particularly school age children.
Consumer interest, the growth of the pizza take-out and home delivery industry and the subsequent demand for more and better packaging solutions, have all generated the need for an alternative to the standard cardboard pizza box.
Grease-stained pizza boxes cannot be recycled contrary to widespread belief. The general public is unaware that grease contamination prevents recycling or composting, unless disposed of in commercial composters.
The corrugated cardboard becomes soiled with grease from cheese and toppings, once a pizza is placed in a box. Once soiled, the paper cannot be recycled because the paper fibers cannot be separated from the oils during the pulping process.
When cardboard is recycled it is mixed with water and turns into a slurry. Greasy pizza boxes, when added to slurry, form a layer of oil at the top. Once there is oil in the slurry, the recycling process needs to be stopped and the machines need to be cleaned.
Estimates put the cost of irresponsible contamination at $700 million per year in 2008, due to damage to machinery, disposal costs for the non-recyclable materials and wasted time, materials and efficiency.
The environmental benefits of not using cardboard boxes include conserving energy, saving trees, reducing greenhouse gases, reducing waste, a smaller carbon footprint and reducing landfills. Eliminating one ton of cardboard saves over 9 cubic yards of landfill space.
The majority of cardboard pizza boxes contain some recycled paper. While this would seem to be a positive step environmentally, it may present a health risk to pizza consumers. Studies now show that recycled paper contains bisphenol A (BPA). Concerns about the safety of BPAs in consumer products have been raised most recently by the US FDA in 2010 and it is declared a toxic substance in Canada.
Regardless of the design or shape of a cardboard pizza box or pizza transport solution, there is a certain common goal—to retain the quality of the pizza. A crispy, not soggy crust and fresh-from-the-oven flavor and consistency (no cardboard taste) are desired characteristics. Pizza, when delivered, often suffers and pales in comparison to a pizza eaten at a restaurant or pizzeria. Solutions to these quality issues for delivered pizzas have not been effectively implemented.
Product heat loss for delivered pizzas contributes to pizza quality deterioration. There have been numerous attempts to rectify this problem with multiple inventions. Ultimately, consumers continue to remove their pizzas from the cardboard boxes and reheat them in the oven or on separate baking pans.
Prior Art includes Design Pats. D620,765 and D620,766 for Reusable Pizza Containers, new to the market in 2009. However, these containers are made of plastic, are square in shape, do not have the Vapor Transport Mechanism component, and do not have the raised circular domes in the bottom or the shape of the top, which facilitate convection heat and moister flow. The designs in the listed design patents cannot be used for reheating or baking and would melt when placed on top of hot pizza ovens where pizza boxes are typically stored.